Evolution of American Firefighting to a Technical Profession
In early colonial America, house fires were a huge concern not only to a single home, but to the entire town. Due to the construction of homes at that time, hot embers from the essential wood fires could easily ignite a house. The inadequate measures to fight fires at the time allowed it to spread to all homes in close proximity. Everyone in a town was expected to contribute to fighting a fire. Eventually, techniques and machines were conceived that allowed for a better means to fight the fires. These new means allowed for a specialization that brought firefighting from all men, women, and children, to the status of a select few as professionals.
Bucket Brigades
Fire Insurance
Benjamin Franklin & the Union Fire Company
Manual Pumps
Leather Hoses
Fire Hydrants
Steam Powered Pumpers
Integration of Horses
Gamewell Alarm System
Conclusion
References
Bucket Brigades
common leather bucket used in bucket brigades of colonial America (Photo taken at the PA National Fire Museum)
The method of firefighting during the American colonial era was the bucket brigade. When a fire was spotted in the town by a patrolling fire warden, a bell from a bell tower would be rung to raise alarm to the entire town. Every man, women, and child of able body would bring their mandatory two buckets per household to join the bucket brigade. This was a double file line leading from a sizable body of water right up to the source of the fire. One line would pass the buckets filled with water towards the homes ablaze and the other line was to bring the empty buckets back for refilling (“Pennsylvania’s Historic Firehouses”). This method was dangerous for the person at the fire end of the bucket brigade, insufficient to fight the fire, and disorganized.
Fire Insurance
The fires of the early colonial time were such a concern that fire insurance companies were started to pull together finances for cases were many homes would be lost, or the majority of a city. The insurance companies would give their subscribers a placard with their insignia of some meaning to the company to distinguish which homes they were going to help fight fires against. (Gottschalk 9)
Benjamin Franklin & the Union Fire Company
Portrait of Benjamin Franklin in his Union Fire Company uniform. Courtesy of (http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/philadelphia/fire.htm)
In Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography, he writes that he started an organized fire company, the Union Fire Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which set its goals in fighting fires and saving the property of all of its neighbors. This was one of the first organized fire companies which formed in 1736. Members had to pay a fee to join and were required to own two leather buckets for water and a sack to help move out property of homes on fire. The members would meet once a month to discuss techniques in firefighting and then socialize for the rest of the evening (Eliot 103). Fines against the members for offenses including not attending a monthly meeting or not having the required equipment, were used to purchase more equipment and fire engines of the time. At its first inception, the fire company consisted of thirty members. The majority of the members were businessmen or merchants since they had the most to lose if their own homes or places of business were destroyed (“Pennsylvania’s Historic Firehouses”). Once others figured out how useful this method was, more wanted to join and created their own companies closer to their homes. These companies grew from the need to protect members own homes, and knowing that theirs might be next, lead to them feeling the need to help their neighbors regardless of whether they were a member or not (Scharf and Westcott 1884). Franklin also made note that since the start of the company only one or two houses were lost per fire as opposed to the full conflagrations that plagued the time. (Eliot 103)
Manual Pumps
An example of an early manual pumper used in the United States. (Photo taken at the PA National Fire Museum)
During the late 1600’s, some of the very first manual water pumps were being adapted to carts on wheels to propel water onto the fires. In 1721, very successful manual pump was designed by Richard Newsham of London which was able to pump great volumes of water in a steady stream (Wallington 36-37). This method made it safer for fires to be fought since it could be accomplished at a distance. Some of the larger manual pumps required far more than the old two man pumps. Rather than the handles be positioned on the front and back of the cart, the handles ran the entire length of both sides. This required a huge amount of manpower to push the water out the turret atop the pump and on to the fire. Teams of firefighter were needed to pump in shifts since the men would suffer from exhaustion. (“Pennsylvania’s Historic Firehouses”)
Leather Hoses
The earliest form of manual pumps still needed to have water brought to them by bucket brigades and dumped into a reservoir onboard. Once leather hose were invented, it was easier to bring the water to the pump and at larger consistent volumes. The first leather hoses we sewn together, but would easily dry rot and could not hold much pressure without leaking or bursting. A later innovation to the leather fire hoses, by James Sellars and Abraham Pennock from Hose Company No.1 in Philadelphia around 1807, was the use of rivets to fashion the leather together. This allowed for the use of higher pressures and longer hose lines without leaks. (Hashagen par. 2-4)
A section of leather fire hose with rivets to hold the leather together for a better seal. (Photo taken at the PA National Fire Museum)
Fire Hydrants
Two early fire hydrants. On the left is a wooden hydrant. On the right is a cast iron hydrant. (Photo taken at the PA National Fire Museum)
In an attempt to bring the water supply to the bucket brigades and firefighters faster, water piping was laid around the city. The first pipes were made from hollow wooden logs that would be drilled and then plugged when not in use. The bucket brigades would fill water from these and take it to the fire or to fill the manual pumpers. Eventually the leather hoses would be used to draw water from the piping directly to the pumpers. The first cast iron fire hydrant was ordered by Philadelphia in 1802. The couplings on the ends of the hoses and on the fire hydrants made water supplying much more efficient and much less labor intensive. The fire hydrant that could directly connect to fire hydrants made it possible for man power to be used elsewhere rather than worrying about water supply. (Gottschalk 8)
Steam Powered Pumpers
The steam engine was first adapted in London, England to water pumping for fire engines in 1829. The steam powered pumpers worked on the same principle as any other steam engine of the time with boiler and pistons. The boiler fire would be started on the way to the fire by throwing coal into the fire door underneath. Once at the fire the engine was primed and ready for use. With proper water supply, particularly with the usage of cast iron fire hydrants, the steam powered pumps were cable of supplying a steady stream of water at greater volumes than the manual pumps (Wallington 40-44). The steam powered pump made it possible to again cut down on the manpower required to operate a pump. An engineer was needed to operate the pump and a handful of others were needed to man the hoses and water supply. (“Pennsylvania’s Historic Firehouses”)
1899 LaFrance steam powered, horse drawn, fire engine. The boiler can be seen at the back end of the engine on the right side of the picture. (Photo taken at the PA National Fire Museum)
Integration of Horses
Originally all the fire engines were wooden carts with pumps mounted to them, easily pulled by a few men to the scene of a fire. Once more and more equipment such as the hoses, heavy brass nozzles for the hoses, and ladders were employed into the firefighter’s arsenal, the carts became increasingly heavy (Wallington 38-39). Usually this just meant to the firefighters that they needed more men to pull the cart. With the coming of the steam powered pumpers, it was then impossible for men along to haul the large metal apparatus through the dirt and cobblestone roads. Horses were required with the addition of steam powered pumpers to fire companies. This added to the already technical nature of being a firefighter. Members of the company were responsible to care of the horses if the company could afford them. The horses were a source of financial drain on a company, so it was also common to borrow horses from businesses such as local breweries at the time of a fire. Despite the huge financial undertaking of horses the property that could be saved due to their usage outweighed the cost. The response time of firefighters dramatically improved due to the use of horses, which meant being able to contain a fire before it progressed too far and thus less property damage. (“Pennsylvania’s Historic Firehouses”)
Gamewell Alarm System
The Gamewell Alarm System. On the left is an example of the alarm mounted in a firehouse that recieved the signal from the box with the lever pulled. On the right is and example of a box that might be seen on a street corner. (Photo taken at the PA National Fire Museum)
Another innovation that reduced response time of firefighters was the Gamewell Alarm System. It was a system that was an improvement to ringing of a bell tower to signal a fire. It worked similarly to how a telegraph system worked. There were boxes placed around the city and when a fire warden or a passerby saw a fire would pull the lever inside the box. Back at the firehouse, a bell was struck a certain number of times indicating the number of the box that the lever was pulled. The firefighters had better foreknowledge of were a fire was and did not have to wait for someone to run to a bell tower or back to the firehouse to raise the alarm. One of the first of its kind was installed in Philadelphia in the mid-1800’s. (“Pennsylvania’s Historic Firehouses”)
Conclusion
Firefighting started as a community striving to save itself. Once it became an organized battle, firefighting started to evolve to a highly technical profession of the few. The members of the organized companies elevated their knowledge of firefighting during weekly tactical discussions. The bucket brigades were efforts that all citizens were able and needed to participate in. The manual pump required just as many, but of a higher stamina which brought the group effort solely to the men of the community to operate. The leather hoses that eventually were invented, no longer required buckets of water to provide water supply and shortened the required manpower again. With the inception of steam power, large teams of men were replaced with a handful of men that needed the expertise of steam engine operation. Along with the steam powered pumps, came the horses to pull the apparatus and the expertise of horse handling. During the mid-1800’s, the steam powered pumpers were the breaking point for firefighting into a technical classification. Adaptations from the new technology of the time pushed the expertise required. Firefighting is still growing and furthering itself by becoming more organized and more technologically diverse even in modern times.
Wallington, Neil. The Ultimate Book of Fire Engines and Firefighting: Fire and Rescue – An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fire Apparatus Around the World. London: Hermes House, 2003.
Evolution of American Firefighting to a Technical Profession
In early colonial America, house fires were a huge concern not only to a single home, but to the entire town. Due to the construction of homes at that time, hot embers from the essential wood fires could easily ignite a house. The inadequate measures to fight fires at the time allowed it to spread to all homes in close proximity. Everyone in a town was expected to contribute to fighting a fire. Eventually, techniques and machines were conceived that allowed for a better means to fight the fires. These new means allowed for a specialization that brought firefighting from all men, women, and children, to the status of a select few as professionals.Bucket Brigades
Fire Insurance
The fires of the early colonial time were such a concern that fire insurance companies were started to pull together finances for cases were many homes would be lost, or the majority of a city. The insurance companies would give their subscribers a placard with their insignia of some meaning to the company to distinguish which homes they were going to help fight fires against. (Gottschalk 9)Benjamin Franklin & the Union Fire Company
Manual Pumps
Leather Hoses
The earliest form of manual pumps still needed to have water brought to them by bucket brigades and dumped into a reservoir onboard. Once leather hose were invented, it was easier to bring the water to the pump and at larger consistent volumes. The first leather hoses we sewn together, but would easily dry rot and could not hold much pressure without leaking or bursting. A later innovation to the leather fire hoses, by James Sellars and Abraham Pennock from Hose Company No.1 in Philadelphia around 1807, was the use of rivets to fashion the leather together. This allowed for the use of higher pressures and longer hose lines without leaks. (Hashagen par. 2-4)Fire Hydrants
Steam Powered Pumpers
The steam engine was first adapted in London, England to water pumping for fire engines in 1829. The steam powered pumpers worked on the same principle as any other steam engine of the time with boiler and pistons. The boiler fire would be started on the way to the fire by throwing coal into the fire door underneath. Once at the fire the engine was primed and ready for use. With proper water supply, particularly with the usage of cast iron fire hydrants, the steam powered pumps were cable of supplying a steady stream of water at greater volumes than the manual pumps (Wallington 40-44). The steam powered pump made it possible to again cut down on the manpower required to operate a pump. An engineer was needed to operate the pump and a handful of others were needed to man the hoses and water supply. (“Pennsylvania’s Historic Firehouses”)Integration of Horses
Originally all the fire engines were wooden carts with pumps mounted to them, easily pulled by a few men to the scene of a fire. Once more and more equipment such as the hoses, heavy brass nozzles for the hoses, and ladders were employed into the firefighter’s arsenal, the carts became increasingly heavy (Wallington 38-39). Usually this just meant to the firefighters that they needed more men to pull the cart. With the coming of the steam powered pumpers, it was then impossible for men along to haul the large metal apparatus through the dirt and cobblestone roads. Horses were required with the addition of steam powered pumpers to fire companies. This added to the already technical nature of being a firefighter. Members of the company were responsible to care of the horses if the company could afford them. The horses were a source of financial drain on a company, so it was also common to borrow horses from businesses such as local breweries at the time of a fire. Despite the huge financial undertaking of horses the property that could be saved due to their usage outweighed the cost. The response time of firefighters dramatically improved due to the use of horses, which meant being able to contain a fire before it progressed too far and thus less property damage. (“Pennsylvania’s Historic Firehouses”)Gamewell Alarm System
The Gamewell Alarm System. On the left is an example of the alarm mounted in a firehouse that recieved the signal from the box with the lever pulled. On the right is and example of a box that might be seen on a street corner. (Photo taken at the PA National Fire Museum)
Another innovation that reduced response time of firefighters was the Gamewell Alarm System. It was a system that was an improvement to ringing of a bell tower to signal a fire. It worked similarly to how a telegraph system worked. There were boxes placed around the city and when a fire warden or a passerby saw a fire would pull the lever inside the box. Back at the firehouse, a bell was struck a certain number of times indicating the number of the box that the lever was pulled. The firefighters had better foreknowledge of were a fire was and did not have to wait for someone to run to a bell tower or back to the firehouse to raise the alarm. One of the first of its kind was installed in Philadelphia in the mid-1800’s. (“Pennsylvania’s Historic Firehouses”)Conclusion
Firefighting started as a community striving to save itself. Once it became an organized battle, firefighting started to evolve to a highly technical profession of the few. The members of the organized companies elevated their knowledge of firefighting during weekly tactical discussions. The bucket brigades were efforts that all citizens were able and needed to participate in. The manual pump required just as many, but of a higher stamina which brought the group effort solely to the men of the community to operate. The leather hoses that eventually were invented, no longer required buckets of water to provide water supply and shortened the required manpower again. With the inception of steam power, large teams of men were replaced with a handful of men that needed the expertise of steam engine operation. Along with the steam powered pumps, came the horses to pull the apparatus and the expertise of horse handling. During the mid-1800’s, the steam powered pumpers were the breaking point for firefighting into a technical classification. Adaptations from the new technology of the time pushed the expertise required. Firefighting is still growing and furthering itself by becoming more organized and more technologically diverse even in modern times.References